Monday’s Bag Of Tricks Vol. 8: Stay On Top Of The IWD Zerg

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Welcome to the eighth installment of Monday’s Bag of Tricks! On some Mondays you will find useful tricks, gimmicks and ideas here that can make life in Neverwinter Online easier. Some of the stuff should be well known, but since even veterans learn something new every now and then, chance is you can, too.

The Zerg in on!

Adding RPs to the Heroic Encounters in Icewind Dale last week was one of the greater additions this Module and players are understandably swarming the area. Most people run with a Zerg because they don’t know better or have no choice. Low-end characters will still get a fair share of Great Successes, but if you’re able to solo the HEs, there’s a more efficient way to do it.

Common Zerg path in Icewind Pass
Common Zerg path in Icewind Pass
Common Zerg path in Dwarven Valley
Common Zerg path in Dwarven Valley

What you want to do is partially complete the Encounters in front of a big zerging group. Locate it and boost forward one or two HEs and start doing the first wave only. Then go on to the next one. When the Zerg reaches the HE you partially completed, it will finish it and get you a Great Success.

Why does this work? In a big group, the points you get for damage dealt, taken and healing is spread out too much, most likely between 10 or more players. Getting a Great Success and the Aquamarine that comes with it is more or less random. Soloing the first wave will place you on top of the ranking and nobody will be able to catch you because the players in the zerg take away points from each other. You also won’t get caught, because the waves of Totem of Aurils and the Merchants are slowing the Zerg down and they might even stop for the bigger HEs, which you should not.

You need to get some experience in how to time your runs. Sometimes other players are also boosting in front and you’ll sort of be forming a smaller group in front of the zerg. That might work as well or it might not. Closely observe whether you’re still getting those Great Successes and if not, change the approach or path or instance.

Have fun farming RPs!


Monday’s Bag Of Tricks Vol. 1: Farming Potions of Heroism The Easy Way
Monday’s Bag Of Tricks Vol. 2: Keep An Eye On The PTS
Monday’s Bag Of Tricks Vol. 3: Artifact Refining Cheat Sheet
Monday’s Bag Of Tricks Vol. 4: Mod 6 Preparations (outdated!)
Monday’s Bag Of Tricks Vol. 5: Mod 6 Crit vs. Power
Monday’s Bag Of Tricks Vol. 6: Joseph Skyrim’s Vigilance Guide
Monday’s Bag Of Tricks Vol. 7: Farming Vigilance Tasks


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We are always looking for people that contribute to this blog. For more information contact us via blog@nwo-uncensored.com or check the forum.

2 thoughts on “Monday’s Bag Of Tricks Vol. 8: Stay On Top Of The IWD Zerg

  • June 1, 2015 at 9:23 am
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    I have to say this is a bit unfair. If everyone runs together as one group everyone gets the same amount of aquamarines. As in everyone gets an Aquamarine per run. Running ahead of the zerg group not only can mess you up depending on who does more damage behind you, but it messes up the zerg group in general behind you. This is a pure example of wanting to be first not so much wanting to help everyone else out.

  • June 11, 2015 at 5:23 am
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    Per the June 11th release notes, the drop rate from IWD epics is getting reduced today.

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